it happens only in India!

There have been times when India has established the fact that it is emerging super power and 'can do and achieve anything at the world level'. Still there were many occasions when it was reaffirmed that there is much more way to cover to reach that destination.

Commonwealth Games scheduled in October this year in New Delhi mirrors the second type of instance. There is so much of chaos now, one just can't help but doubt whether everything will be in order and as per itinerary.

First and foremost, there are reports of high level corruption and irregularities in the funds utilisation. This is serious issue as we are talking of sum of rupees in the range of 30000 and 50000 crores. Initial estimated budget was 345 crores!

Next concern is that the construction work is still on and still lots of good quality finishing are to be done at different places.

And we have two senior Congress leaders bickering in full media glare. One of them almost praying that Games would be a flop show - Mani Shankar Aiyar (he is credited with many such foot-in-mouth incidents embarrassing Congress Party). Other presiding over the administration says Mr. Aiyar is anti-national - Suresh Kalmadi (MP from Pune and Indian Olympics Association Chief for nearly 20 years).

Meanwhile, image of India takes a beating.

Remember there would be almost 50000 players from 72 countries and there are terror threats also. So can India manage such events with finesse? Or would there be show of typical clumsiness? Big questions - we will get answers only after Games are over.

I strongly feel that if managed properly, this event will be foundation of change in our mindset and our sporting culture.

punishment for 'punishment'!

Parents and Teachers, be aware! Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued a set of guidelines to ban physical punishment of students and children. This ban entails one year of jail or a fine of Rs 5000 or even both, for first instance of punishment. If someone thinks this is not enough, imprisonment could be extended to 3 years in jail and additional fine of Rs 25,000.

This is a welcome step taken by the Government. I got to read that Govt. committee is working on final draft of the Prevention of Child Offences Bill where even parents, relatives and neighbours could be prosecuted for hitting children.

While drafting the law concerned people have also studied the other aspects such as verbal abuse, molestation, ragging and even sexual abuse.

I strongly believe that such measures will reduce chances of parents beating child for silly reasons. Subsequently trauma a child goes through will reduce slowly and steadily.

Some of the parents, I have seen, are adamant and want the child to do what they could not do themselves. There is immense pressure on the child to 'perform constantly in all the spheres of life'.

This is ridiculous and uncalled for in the first place. I am sure now there will be space for children 'to grow without fear'.

Rarely Central Government does something so nice!

phir bhi dil hai hindustani?

Some of my friends and colleagues laugh at me. The reason? Nothing special, just that they strongly feel that I am incurable emotional fool. Why? Because I am 'extra patriotic', or so they think.

It was a nice post lunch session on a cool Friday with pleasant environment. We had some time to spare, all the work was complete for the week. So as usual, we started chatting casually. And the discussion veered towards brain drain, immigration abroad, money, foreign infrastructure, current status of India, and so on. Most of the guys felt passionately about 'leaving India' and they want to settle abroad at first given opportunity.

After some time it turned out to be heated debate. Suddenly I realised I am almost all alone supporting my wish of staying here and my thinking of India as land of opportunities. They even asked sarcastically 'what are you proud of? - slums, population, poverty or corruption?'

I just told them that I believe India and China and their interrelation and international relations are the future of next hundred years. Politics aside, personally I don't see need to migrate to any other country.

This is the place I belong to and I shall do whatever I want to here. Money, name, fame, stability or whatever will come, it's just that you have to work hard and work smart along with another variable component - luck factor. (Some friends said - you did not have chance to go, so I informed that I had an opportunity to go to Dubai and settle there. but I prefer India!!!!)

Also I tried to tell them about their 'identity', they will be known as Indians only, wherever they go. Foreigners will call and treat them as Indians, irrespective of profession. 'And that can NOT be altered'.

Am I a fool? I don't know. And I don't care. All I know is that I will build my life in India. No two ways about it!

don of dawn

hi,

this is ganesh kulkarni here on my blog. (so?) 

What will I write?

Do I know technological advances to operate a blog? 

Will anyone actually read this?

Why will I write in the first place?

There are so many blogs, so why someone should read my blog?

What will be the overall quality of content?

Does it really matter that ‘I’ have started my blog?

In this time and age of internet, frequent power cuts, growing ‘I-me-myself’ tendency, very individualistic nature of life, who will bother to comment and read this blog?

Is this self doubt? Am I scared of failure and blog being completely inconsequential? 

So many questions. Plain and simple answer –

I don’t know. I really don’t.

All I know at this point of time is that I want to write my blog. ‘I feel like writing’. And I have a medium to express. That’s it.